Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh given 'martyr' status at funeral

Iran awarded its slain nuclear scientist ‘martyr’ status as his mortal remains were brought for the funeral ceremony in an outdoor area of the defence ministry on Sunday, November 29. Vowing to redouble his work, the Iranian administration held a state funeral for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was assassinated using 'electronic devices' on a highway near Tehran.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei held the nation's arch-foe Israel responsible for the attack, as tensions between the two countries escalated. 

Khamenei swore a "definitive punishment" for the perpetrators as he condemned the brutal mercenaries [Israel] for carrying out the high profile military assassination. Iran’s top officials, defence forces, and political leaders gathered to hold the last rites for Fakhrizadeh as they paid homage, assembled around the nuclear scientist’s casket strewn with flowers alongside the portrait of Qassem Sulaimani, the Iranian major general of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps killed in a US airstrike in Baghdad in January.

"There are two matters that people in charge should put in their to-do list: 1- To follow up the atrocity and retaliate against those who were responsible for it. 2- To follow up Martyr Fakhrizadeh’s scientific and technical activities in all fields in which he was active," Khamenei wrote Saturday.

Read: Enraged By Top Scientist's Assassination, Iran Passes Bill To Boost Nuclear Activity

Further, in a letter dispatched by the Iranian leader to the United Nations, Iran asserted "serious indications of Israeli responsibility" which, according to the sources of New York Times, was also agreed by the US intelligence officials. Khamenei said, that Iran "reserved the right to take all necessary measures to defend its people" as President Hassan Rouhani earlier accused Israel of the attack and vowed "retaliation".

"The think tanks and the enemies of Iran must know that the Iranian nation and the officials in charge in the country are brave and determined to respond to the murder in time," said the Iranian President. Calling Israel ‘Zionists’, Rouhani said that the country murdered the nuclear scientists to "create chaos".  

Read: Iran Says Won't Fall In Trap Of Holding Talks With US, After Killing Of Nuclear Scientist

Widow says wanted to get ‘martyr’ status

Iran’s secretary of the supreme national security council, Ali Shamkhani, fully confirmed Israel’s involvement for the killing with ‘electronic device’ and allegedly 'a gunman', rejecting claims made by state’s semi-official Fars news agency that "no assailant" was present at the scene.

Fars claimed that Fakhrizadeh was shot multiple times from 150 metres with automatic remote-controlled machine-gun, while the bodyguard provided cover; both were fatally injured in a three-minute attack, and later, the car exploded. Meanwhile, Iranian state TV claimed a weapon bearing the "logo and specifications of the Israeli military" was recovered at the scene. Meanwhile, the widow of the Iranian nuke scientist assassinated told reporters that he had always wanted to sacrifice his life in the service of the country and that the martyr status was like a "wish" come true for Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. 

Read: Iran Writes To UN Asserting ‘right To Defend’ After Nuclear Scientist's Assassination

Read: Iran Chief Justice Prays Over Slain Scientist Body

(Image Credits: AP)